Binder Tome

This order's been on my docket in one way or another since June.  The client wanted a binder in the same style as the old spellbook-y toolboxes I used to make.  I'd figured I could utilize the new printer to improve on the old pattern quite a bit but, among other things, that meant doing a lot of tight-tolerance modeling.  The print bed is just shy of 11" square and since letter paper is 11" tall the binder needed to be just a bit larger than that.  So any of the structural parts needed to be printed in two parts that would then fit together to build the whole thing.

The order was paid in installments so it wasn't fully purchased until August and when I got down to production I kept running into problems that forced me to start over.  I had to remake or tweak the models a few times or trim them down to fit nicely.  I'd originally intended to stitch the perimeter for some added durability but then I found out that 2mm of pla isn't strong enough to withstand the tension inherent to a saddlestitch.

The good news is that after all those trials, setbacks, and headaches the final result doesn't look half bad.  The walls have a little "chop" on the outside so they actually look kinda paper-y. And when the binder's closed you can't really tell it isn't all one piece.  The structure's stable and durable enough for every day handling.  Not too bad all told.

Binder, HYD

A 1" binder that's going to hold the client's new campaign notes.  I really like how the red and black set each other off.

D&D Binder

I never received any specs from the client so I can only hope the binder is close to what they had in mind.  It gave me an opportunity to finally use some of the brown lining material I've been wanting to try out and I'm pretty happy with the result.  It's got a good, supple feel to it and I expect I'll be using a bunch of it going forward.

Adapted Binder

This started as a run-of-the-mill leather binder on a short deadline.  The client needed to receive it in NY in time to fill it full of goodies and ship it to their nephew (who's just starting to DM) in Chicago.  So you can probably imagine my ARG! when I finally finished the stitching and bolted the rings in to find that it didn't completely close.  I'd made a typo in the draft (10.75 instead of 10.25) so the backing was just a little too long.  It wasn't that large of a change but it shifted the back of the binder over a little over an 1" from the edge of the front.

If I'd had a week or two I could've dismantled the whole thing and repaired the error.  Lacking that I decided to stitch a flap over the lid that would wrap around the back and close with velcro.  It was an improvised solution and the best I could do with a minimal amount of time but I think the result's turned out fairly well.  I'm sure I can do better with it if the binder is designed with the modification in mind.  So I'm tempted to develop a new model of "deluxe" binder based off that pattern.  It's a lot of material so it'd raise the price of the binder but it's something I hope to look into in 2017.

Edit: As worried as I was about the package arriving on time, the client received it just a few days later.  They've got plenty of time to set it up and get it on its way to Chicago! \o/

Prototype DM Binder

Since the previous DM Binder I've been meaning to prototype a slimmer version to stock in the store.  When a hiccup in my supply chain presented a couple day's pause in my work load I zipped at the chance to crank out that prototype.  My wife will be using this prototype for her upcoming campaign starting later this summer. 

To make it more cost effective I used a material I haven't used very often before: deertan cowhide.  As the name suggests it's straight up cowhide but it's been tanned using the same process normally used for deerskins.  The result is pretty supple and durable and just at the edge of a cost-effective lining.  For the interior I used trusty EVA foam, appropriately textured, which should be durable enough to work over the long term.

There were a few tricky spots during construction, mostly having to do with the properties of EVA.  I quickly figured out that tension on the stitching was very important.  Too much tension and the foam would tear.  Too little and the stitching would slack or look sloppy.  I expect that's something I can continue to improve with production models.

All in all, there's probably a few things I'll change (mostly having to do with the EVA joint on the back but not nearly as much as I'd usually have after one prototype.  I expect it should be up in the store pretty soon!

D&D Tome of Binding

In this case the client liked the aesthetic of the old DM Toolbox but they needed a binder rather than a box.  This was something I've been meaning to try out for awhile and this gave me a pretty good opportunity to go for the high end option.  Externally the box looks almost exactly like any of the toolboxes except the shell is made of stone oiled leather, rather than goatskin lining.  That sharply increased the material cost but was necessary for the binder's structural integrity.

Inside the binder is a stained poplar frame and some close cut plates of fiberboard.  I figured I could just bolt the binder rings down to the spine but thanks to some UPS shenanigans I didn't get the rings until fairly late in the build.  It turns out that the rings are very sensitive to any pressure against their back side.  If I bolt it down to hand-tight the rings can't even open.  I had to find a "sweet spot" between being secure enough to not jiggle around being lose enough so that the rings would open.

I lined the interior with some EVA foam I textured before hand and I'm quite pleased with how that came out.  The tolerances were so tight that the stretching and contracting of the foam during texturing and gluing was pretty inconvenient but I managed to work around it.

All in all I think it came out pretty swell.  I'd like to pair the design down a bit to get closer to a certain price point and then I plan on adding it to the store as a regular item.